Response to the Jews who greeted with 'Death be upon you' and the revealed verse

This incident is one of the most striking examples reflecting the tensions that the Prophet Muhammad and his companions experienced with the Jews in daily life in Medina. According to the narration, a group of Jews came to the Prophet Muhammad and instead of greeting him, they said 'es-Sâmü aleyküm' (death be upon you). The Prophet Muhammad responded calmly with 'Ve aleyküm' (and upon you). Hz. Aisha, upon hearing this, became extremely angry and replied loudly, 'No! Death and curse be upon you!' The Prophet Muhammad turned to her and said: 'O Aisha, Allah loves gentleness in everything; He does not love harshness.' Hz. Aisha asked, 'Did you not hear what they said?' The Prophet replied: 'I heard; I also said 've aleyküm'. Allah has given them my curse.' This hadith contains several fundamental principles: It teaches that Islam adopts a calm and measured attitude even in the face of provocations; it is a concrete reflection of the Prophet Muhammad's character of gentleness (hilm) and patience; and in this context, it shows the prophetic guidance that understands Hz. Aisha's natural reaction while directing her towards being more measured. [Source: Bukhari, Adab 35; Muslim, Salam 7; TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, 'Salam' article, islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/selam]